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PROPHETS and PROPHECY
Secular
definition: the inspired declaration of divine will and purpose; a
declaration of things to come. These definitions indicate a necessary
recognition of the biblical distinction between forth-telling and
fore-telling God’s message. (Numbers refer to
Strong’s Exhaustive
Concordance).
I. The Old Testament uses several Hebrew words to describe the prophet and his
message. In general, the words for "prophet" indicate the idea of speaking out
what the prophet has received by divine inspiration. The OT uses several
significant words:
a. nawbee'
(5030)- translates prophecy, that prophecy, prophet. See 1 Samuel 3:20,
b. neb-ee (5029)
- translates prophet. Same as 5030 but Chaldee. See Ezra 5:1.
c. naw-baw'
(5012) - primary root to the above with the meaning "to speak or sing by
inspiration in prediction or simple discourse". See Jeremiah 29:26,27
d. naw-tif (5197)
- a primary root "to ooze" or to "fall in drops" and translates the idea of
gradual drops of prophecy by divine inspiration. See Micah 2:11 (Only).
e. kho-zeh (2374)
- translates agreement, prophet, see that, seer, [star] gazer. See
1Chronicles 21:9
f. raw-aw (7200)
- a primary root "to see" and translates many such words. See 1Samuel
9:9-19.
II. The Old Testament sets no limits of station, age or gender. Old Testament
examples of Prophet reveal that God set no limits of station, age, sex;
however, most were male. Some were priests as Jeremiah and Ezekial. Note the
contrast with Amos 7:14.
a. Some
surprising: Abraham, Genesis 20:7;
Aaron, Moses' brother, Exodus 7:1; Samuel as a youth, 1Samuel 3:20;
"old prophet", 1Kings
13:11-29. See also Miriam, Exodus 15:20; Deborah, Judges 4:4;
Huldah, 2Kings 22:14; Noadiah, Nehemiah 6:14; Isaiah's wife,
Isaiah 8:3.
b. Well-known
examples: Nathan, 2Samuel 7:2; Isaiah, Isaiah 37:2; Jeremiah,
Jeremiah 1:5.
c. All
faced the proof of the genuine in fulfillment,
Deuternomy 18:21ff. and ISamuel 3:19 but the prophecy was subject to
change as in Jonah caused by repentance.
d. All faced
limitations:
1' all could
speak only what they were given to speak, Deuteronomy 18:20-22.
2' some confessed
ignorance of the full meaning of what they spoke, 1Peter1:10,11; Daniel
8:27; 12:8; Zechariah 4:13.
III. The New Testament definition of prophet depends upon one Greek root word
and many examples.
1. New Testament
Word for Prophet: prophetes (4396) is defined by Vines as a proclaimer of a
divine message; among the Greeks as an interpreter of the oracles of the gods.
See Matthew 21:4,11,26,46. See also (5578)for false prophet and (4398)
for prophetess in Luke 2:36; Revelation2:20 and for verb form see
(4395).
2. New Testament
designations for Prophet refer to anointed persons, or to a Spirit-gifted
person, to a church office. Examples of anointed persons in OT and NT:
a. OT Prophets,
Matthew 5:12; Mark 6:15; Luke 4:27; John 8:52; Romans 11:3.
b. Prophets in
general: Matthew 10:41; 21:46; Mark 6:4.
c. New
Testament Prophets Acts 13:1;
15:32; 21:10; 1Corinthians 12:28,29; 14:29,32,37; Ephesians 2:20; 3:5; 4:11.
a’. John the
Baptist, Matthew 11:9.
b’. Jesus Christ,
Acts 7:37.
c’. Agabus and
others, Acts 11:27,28.
d’. Philip's
daughters, Acts 21:9,10.
e’. Corinthian
church, 1Corinthians 12 qnd 14.
f’. Simon Peter,
2Peter 3:10-12.
g’. John the
Apostle, Revelation
f. Two witnesses,
Revelation 11:10,18.
g. A
Spirit-gifted person, Romans 12:6; 1Corinthians 13:8; 14:6,22.
h. A Church
office, Ephesians 4:11.
i. Female
prophets, Acts 2:17; 21:9; Luke 2:36.
3. New Testament
designations clarify the power of the prophet.
a. Prophets were
to be tested 1John 4:1; 1Corinthians 12:10; 14:29.
Because false
prophets will arise, Matthew 7:15; 24:11; Acts 13:6; 2Peter 2:1;
Ultimately THE false prophet will arise, Revelation 13:13; 19:20; 20:16.
b. Prophets will
diminish, 1Corinthian 13:8,9; but the gift evidently will
continues after the apostles, Ephesians 4:8,11.
c. The true
prophet may fore-tell that which cannot be known by natural means or apart
from the revelation of God, Matthew 26:68; 2 Peter 1:16-21.
d. The true
prophet may forth-tell the will of God, past, present, and future,
Revelation 10:11; 11:3.
Some Relationships between the Prophet and the Preacher
I. Both the
Prophet and the Preacher Require Biblical Authority.
A. The Prophet's
Authority, Deuteronomy 18:17-22. Note the number of times "Thus
saith the Lord" is used.
1. The authority
of Moses and Joshua, Joshua 4:14.
2. The authority
of Ezekiel Ezekiel 33:27,33.
3. The authority
of Jeremiah Jeremiah 1:9,10.
B. The Preacher's
Authority,
1. The Right to
Preach and minister, Matthew 28:16-20.
2. The Ability to
proclaim the gospel, Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5.
3. The secret of
power, Simon and others, Acts 5:19,20,29.
4. The authority
of Paul, Acts 26:15-18; Timothy 1:11; Galatians 1:8,9.
C. The Shared
authority arises from the anointing to speak God's message, Ezekial 33;
1Corinthians 9:16.
II. Both the
Prophet and the Preacher Share a Holiness Objective.
A. The Holiness
of God (Christ) is the goal of all godly history.
1. Prophecy
demonstrates that holiness is available through Jesus Christ, the
Source, John 1:45; Luke 24:44.
2. The prophets
predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glory that was to follow,
1Peter 1:11.
2. Prophecy
demonstrates that appeals to the future work of God through Christ promote
holiness, Hebrews 11:24-26; 12:2; 2Peter 3:14; 1John 3:3.
B. The Holiness
of People
1. In the Old
Testament - holy nation,
2. In the New
Testament - holy people.
a. Jesus'
warning, Matthew 24:36ff.
b. Paul's
admonitions, 1Thessalonians 5:23;2Timothy 4:1-8.
c. Simon Peter'
statements, 1Peter 4:7; 2Peter 3:11-14.
d. John's
declaration, 1John 3:3.
III. Both the
Prophet and the Preacher Have a Comfort Objective.
A. The Old
Testament Prophet
1. Had a direct
command, Isaiah 40:1.
2. Had a covenant
promise, See Covenants.
B. The New
Testament Preacher
1. In his shared
life experiences, 2Corinthians 1:3-7.
2. In his
message, 2Timothy 1:3-14.
IV. The amazing fulfilled prophecies about Jesus’ first coming, Luke
24:26-48,
A. A partial
listing (See in addition Genesis 3:15; 17:19; 49:10; Numbers 24:17 Isaiah
9:7; Jeremiah 31:15; Psalm 27:12; 69:4; 69:21; 22:8; 22:18),
1. Place of
birth, Micah 5:2,
2. Time of birth,
Daniel 9:25,
3. Virgin birth,
Isaiah 7:14,
4. Rejected by
Jews, Isaiah 53:3,
5. Triumphant
Entry, Zechariah 9:9,
6. Betrayed for
30 pieces of silver, Zechariah 11:12,
7. Spit upon,
Isaiah 50:6,
8. Crucified,
Isaiah 53:12,
9. Pierced,
Psalm 22:16,
10. Gamble for
garments, Psalm 22:18,
11. Buried with
rich, Isaiah 53:9,
12. Resurrected,
Psalm 16: 10,
13. Ascended,
Psalm 68:18
V. Samples of Biblical Prophecy
A. Ruin of
Samaria, Micah 1:6,7
B. Ruin of Gaza
and Ashkelon, Jeremiah 47:5; Amos 1:8; Zephaniah 2:4-6,
C. Destruction of
Babylon, Isaiah 13:19-21; Jeremiah 51:26,
D. Destruction of
Tyre, Ezekiel 26:3-16,
E. Rise and Fall
of Gentile Nations, Daniel 2:31-46; 7and 8.
VI. Three schools of prophecy
A.
Postmillenialism lost credibility after two world wars because it held that
the church would develop such a righteous social order that Christ would
return to rule. This belief was popular in the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries. The deterioration of world society since the first World War showed
that humanity would never save itself.
B. Amillenialism,
an inheritance from the Roman Catholic faith, holds that the church either on
earth or in heaven is the kingdom referred to in Revelation 20:1- 6 so that
there will be no future earthly kingdom. This interpretation disregards the
clear teaching of the Bible by spiritualizing the meaning of the words. This
belief is popular with the more liberal in theology who do not hold the
infallibility of the Bible.
C.
Premillenialism in its simplest form means that Christ returns before the
kingdom is established on earth. This belief varies as follows:
1. Pretribulation
- that Christ comes for His church before the Great Tribulation,
2.
Mid-tribulation - that Christ comes for His church in the midst of the Great
Tribulation,
3.
Post-tribulation - that Christ comes for His church after the Great
Tribulation.
II. The
interpretation divides in reference to time as follows:
A. The Preterists
limit the range of final prophecy as in Revelation to the 1st Century.
B. Historicalists
relate the Revelation to the full sweep of history.
C. Futurists
relate the final events in Revelation to the future.
III. The
interpretation also divides on the basis of two interpretations:
1. Literal-that
words mean what definition states.
2. Spiritual-that
words have a secret meaning.
A. The
interpretations must deal with several language forms:
1. Types, a
predictive symbol of truth to be accomplished in the work of Jesus Christ, but
which has an independent historical reality.
2. Metaphor, a
declaration of identity based upon a point of similarity.
3. Allegory, the
expansion of a series of metaphors into a narrative,
4. An object or
event that connotes some matter of timeless significance.
5. Telescoping,
the process by which a prophecy leaps from a near to a far without notice of
that which intervenes.
6. Spiral, the
process by which a prophecy is repeated but in a movement toward its final
fulfillment.
7. Converging,
the meeting of prophecies in a single segment of time.
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